Deflector for heaters



Sept, 27,- 1932. H. w. FINK DEFLECTOR FOR HEATERS Filed June 30, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 luvs/won F'I NK HENRY w. #44 2 Wm ATTORNEYS Sept. 27, 1932. H. w. FINK DEFLECTOR FOR HEATERS Filed June 50, 1950 ZSheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR v HENRY W. F'INH ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 27, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HENRY W. FINK, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO TROPIC-AIRE, INCOR- PORATED, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE DEFLECTOR FOR HEATERS Application filed June 30, 1930. 'Serial No. 464,977.

The present invention is in the nature of an improvement upon the structure disclosed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 424,572 filed January 30, 1930. Generally speaking, the objects sought to be accomplished by the present invention are the same as those of the structure of my aforesaid application, namely, to provide means for directing the flow of heated air emanating from a heater to any desired part of the enclosure to be heated and, further, to regulate and control the flow of the heated air. These objects are accomplished in the present invention, particularly, by means of improved mountings for the deflectors.

It is a specific object of the present invention to provide means for mounting one or more deflectors in juxtaposition to the face of a heater in such a manner that the deflectors are readily and universally adjustable.

A further specific object is to' provide a mounting for deflectors with means acting positively to maintain the deflectors in adjusted position.

Other objectsand advantages of the invention will be more fully brought out as the description proceeds.

For the purpose of illustration, I have appended hereto drawings showing a practical embodiment of my invention. The drawings .are submitted by way of example, only, and

it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of construction therein disclosed. It will be readily apparent that the invention is susceptible of embodiment in other forms falling within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

In these drawings,

Fig. l is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, illustrating a form of heater with the deflectors of my invention mounted thereon, 4

Fig. 2 is a tront view of the heater and dcflcctors illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section taken substantially on line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a rear view of the deflectors as seen from line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a detail view of a portion of a supporting bar and the retaining plates;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view taken on line once character 10 indicates, generally, a heater which may be of any suitable and well known construction and which, in the present case, is particularly adapted for installation in automobiles and the like vehicles. The heater comprises chambers 11 and 12 Which are connected by heating pipes 13-arranged within the casing of the heater and spaced by means of plates 14.

An inlet pipe 15 and an outlet pipe 16 are connected to the chambers 11 and 12, respectively, for the purpose of supplying a heat ing agent to these chambers and to the pipes 13. The heating agent is preferably hot water although any other heating .medium adapted to circulate through the pipes 13 may be employed.

A suitable air-circulating device in the form of a fan 17 is mounted in any convenient manner at the rear of the heater for the purpose of creating a forced circulation of air through the spaces between the plates 14 and around the pipes 13. The fan may be driven from any suitable source of power, for example, a motor 18.

The front of the heater is provided with a frame or open-faced plate 19 secured tothe casing of the heater in any well known manner. The face plate or frame is preferably made of metal and may be either cast or stamped.

As will be seen from an inspection of Fig. l the deflectors of my invention are mounted at the front end of the heater and serve the purpose of directing and controlling the flow of heated air from the heater. The mounting of the deflectors will now be described.

A supporting bar 20 spans the open-face of the plate or frame 19 and is secured theretoas, for example, by spot welding. It will be unvill have provided-a retaining plate 21 which is secured to the bar by spot welding, as at 22. It will be understood that where the bar 20 is cast as an integral part of the frame 19, the retaining plate 20 ma also be integrally formed with the bar. 7 entrally of the retainingplate 21, I have provided a non-circular opening 23 which extends through the bar and the purpose of which will hereinafter be more fully described.

The formation of the retaining plate 21 will be readily understood from an inspection of Figs. 5 and 6. It is seen that the plate is provided with a plurality of depressions 24 forming a plurality of shoulders 25. The shoulders and depressions may be arranged about the plate 21 in any desired manner to perform the function or retaining the deflectors in. adjusted position, as will be more fully pointed out. It will be understood, also, that the depressions 24 may be formed by stamping or punching, or the plate 21 may be cast with the depressions formed therein.

A second retaining plate 26 is adapted to cooperate with the plate 21 for the .purpose of maintaining the deflectors in adjusted position. The plate 26 is provided with a plurality of projections 27 arranged thereon to engage in corresponding depressions 24 in the plate 21. It will be understood that the plate 26 is rotatable with respect to the plate 21, the direction of rotation being indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2. I In so rotating the plate 26, the projections 27 will readily ride out of the depressions 24. If it were attempted to rotate the plate 26 in the opposite direction, itwill beapparent that the projections 27 willcont'act with the shoulders and that therefore such rotation would be im possible. I

The plate 26 is secured to a clamping device 28, as for example, by spot welding indicated at 29. The clamping device 28 is provided with jaws which receive and frictionally retain links 30 and 31, each connected at its other end to a deflector-plate, 32 and 33 respectively.

The links 30 and 31 are secured to their respective deflector plates by a structure in- .cluding a strap 33 secured to the rear surprovided at one end with a jaw member 34 with which cooperates a jaw 35 formed upon a plate 36 which is fulcrumed as at 37, on the strap 33 A screw 38 passes through the plate 36 and the strap 33 for the purpose of drawing them together. It will be understood that as the screw is turned, the plate 36 will turn about its fulcrum 37, whereby the jaw members 34 and 35 are brought together. As is seen in Fig. 3, one end of each of the links 30 and 31 is secured in the clamping device just described.

A bolt-39 connects the bar 20, the plates 21 and 26, and the clamping device 28, by passing through suitable apertures formed in each of these members. The bolt is provided with the usual head 40 which, as is seen in Fig. 3, is located at the rear of the bar 20. Near its head, the bolt is squared off as at 41, or otherwise made non-circular in cross-section, to cooperate with the non-circular opening 23 to prevent rotation of the bolt with respect to the bar 20 and the plate 21 secured thereto.

A coiled spring 42 surrounds the bolt 40 and bears at one end, against the clamping device 28. The end of the bolt is provided with a cap-nut 43 which bears against the other end of the spring 42. By providing a nut of this character, it is seen that the spring 42 may be maintained under limited predetermined compression. That is to say, if an ordinary open nut were employed it would,

accidentally or otherwise, rotate on the bolt and thus compress the spring 42 to a greater or less degree than the desired compression.

The spring 42 functions constantly to urge the plates 21 and 26 into frictional engagement with the result that when the plates are rotated relativel to each other, they will be frictionally retalnedin the position to which they are turned. It is understood that when the deflectors are turiied in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2, ,the projections on the plate 26 ride out of the depressions in the plate 21 against the force of the spring 42 and that the spring tends to maintain the projections in the depressions.

The deflectors 32 and 33 are preferably so. large that when in closed position they will substantially cover the open face of the heater, as is well disclosed in Fig. 2.

The foregoing construction provides for the ready and universal adjustment of the deflectors, It is understood that the deflectors may be rotated as a unit in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2 and that in addition to this adjustment, each deflector is independ ently adjustable on two parallel axes formed by the links 30 and 31.

It is believed that my invention has now been made entirely clear. It will be seen that I have provided a mounting for deflectors to be used in connection with heaters which mounting provides for the universal adjustment of the deflectors to direct the flow of heated air emanating from the heater in any direction as well as also to control the flow of heatedair. Moreover, the deflectors are frictionally maintained in any position of adjustment and will not readily be displaced by ordinary shocks or vibrations.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a heater having an open face, a sup porting bar spanning said face, a deflector mounted on said bar for rotation with respect to said heater, and cooperating means on said bar and said deflector mounting for maintaining said deflector in adjusted position, said means preventing rotation of said deflector in one direction and assisting rotation in the opposite direction.

2. In a heater having an open face, a supporting bar spanning said face, a clamping device ada ted to adjustably support a deflector, and cooperating means on said bar and said clampin device for maintaining said deflector in ad usted position.

3. In a heater having an open face, a supporting bar extending across said face, a

clamping device adapted to adjustably sup.- port a deflector, a retaining plate on said bar, a cooperating plate on said clamping device, and means urging said plates into engagement to maintain-said deflector in adjusted position.

4. In a heater having an open face, a supporting bar, a clamping device adapted to adj ustably support a deflector, a retaining plate on said bar, a. cooperating plate on said clamping device, a bolt connecting said bar, said plates and said clamping device, anda spring surrounding said bolt and urgin said plates into engagement to maintain said deflector in adjusted position.

5. In a heater having an open face, deflectors adapted to substantially cover said face, and means for adjustably mounting said deflectors, said means including a plate secured to the heater and provided with depressions, a plate provided with cooperating projections, a clamp secured to the second mentioned plate and adapted to adjustably support said deflectors, and means urging the and said clamping device, and a spring surrounding said bolt and bearing against said clamping device to urge said. plates into engagement. A 8. In a heater having an open face, deflectors adapted to substantially cover said face, and means for adjustably mounting said deflectors, said means including a pair of plates provided with cooperating projections and depressions, a clamping device secured to one of said plates, a bolt connecting said plates and said clamping device, a spring surrounding said bolt and bearing against said clamping device to urge said plates into engagement, and a cap-nut on said bolt bearing against said spring to maintain said spring under limited compression.

9. A deflector for heaters and the like comprising a plate, a strap secured to said plate and provided at one end with a jaw, a second strap fulcrumed on said first-mentioned strap and provided with a jaw juxtaposed to the jaw on said first-mentioned strap, a link secured in said jaws, and means assing through said straps for drawing said jaws together about said fulcrum to clamp said link therebetween.

10. A deflector for heaters and the like comprising a plate, a strap secured to said plate and provided at one end with a jaw, a second strap fulcrumed on said first-mentioned strap and provided with a jaw juxtaposed to the jaw on said first-mentioned strap, a link secured at one end in said jaws, means passing through said straps for drawing said jaws together about said fulcrum to clamp said link therebetween, and a clamp frictionally securing the other end of said link, whereby said deflector may be independently adjusted on two separate axes.

In witness whereof, ,#I have hereunto set my hand this 27th da "of June, 1930.

ENRY W. FINK.

projections on one of said plates into the depressions in the other to maintain said deflectors in adjusted position.

6. In a heater having an open face, deflectors adapted to substantially cover said face,

and means for adjustably mounting said de-- flectors, said means including a pair of plates provided with cooperating projections and depressions, and means urging said plates into engagement to maintain said deflectors in adjusted position.

7. In a heater having an open face, deflectors adapted to substantially cover said face, and means for adjustably mounting said de flectors, said means including a pair of plates provided with cooperating projections and depressions, a clamping device secured to one of said plates, a bolt connecting said plates 

